2023 journal article

Land use scenarios, seasonality, and stream identity determine the water physicochemistry of tropical cloud forest streams

PeerJ.

By: G. Vázquez *, A. Ramírez n , M. Favila * & M. Alvarado-Barrientos *

MeSH headings : Anthropogenic Effects; Antigua and Barbuda; Biomass; Chlorides; Chlorophyll; Forests; Halogens
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
15. Life on Land (Web of Science; OpenAlex)
Source: ORCID
Added: June 22, 2023

Background Land use is a major factor determining stream water physicochemistry. However, most streams move from one land use type to another as they drain their watersheds. Here, we studied three land use scenarios in a tropical cloud forest zone in Mexico. We addressed three main goals, to: (1) assess how land use scenarios generate different patterns in stream physicochemical characteristics; (2) explore how seasonality (i.e., dry, dry-to-wet transition, and wet seasons) might result in changes to those patterns over the year; and (3) explore whether physicochemical patterns in different scenarios resulted in effects on biotic components (e.g., algal biomass).